Pay-television broadcaster Star India has asked for the start of the Indian Super League franchise football tournament to be delayed to avoid a clash with the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament.
Star, which is the rights-holder of both tournaments, submitted the request to IMG-Reliance, the joint venture between the IMG agency and the Reliance conglomerate, which is promoting the Indian Super League.
“Star has requested us to change the dates of ISL, but it will be extremely difficult,” senior IMG-Reliance executive Priti Srivastava told the Times of India newspaper. “We are still in talks with them to find a viable solution.”
The Champions League Twenty20 tournament is due to start on September 7, while the All India Football Federation has given IMG-Reliance a window of between September 18 and December 7 for the eight-team ISL to take place.
AIFF secretary general Kushal Das said: “We have given them the window and they have to host the ISL during that period.”
The inaugural season of the ISL was originally due to get underway in January 2014 before being postponed.
Star acquired the rights for the league in October 2013 through a 10-year deal that includes equity in the venture.